Command Center Commentaries: Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie (1995)
Starring: Jason David Frank, Johnny Yong Bosch, Amy Jo Johnson
Directed by: Bryan Spicer


If you've seen my TV blog, you'll know that I'm a HUGE fan of Power Rangers. But, the Power Rangers haven't just had adventures on the TV screen. To date, there have been 2 Power Rangers movies, with a film reboot in the works that could turn into a franchise, so I'm going to try and tackle those films to coincide with the timeline of my TV reviews. With that in mind, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie. I can't begin to tell you how many times I saw this film growing up. This is easily my most nostalgic film of my childhood. I'll absolutely love this movie no matter how old I get. That being said, even I can't ignore just how cheesy and full of the '90s this film is. But, if you're part of the fandom, you'll most likely forgive how goofy this movie can come off and accept it as a guilty pleasure of a time when these spandex-wearing teenagers were the biggest pop culture phenomenon on the face of the Earth. So, what are we waiting for? It's Morphin Time! Let's dive right into Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie.

Of course, we couldn't have the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers movie without the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. At this point in the show's history, we are with the second incarnation of the team. That includes Kimberly (the Pink Ranger), Billy (the Blue Ranger), Rocky (the Red Ranger), Adam (the Black Ranger), Aisha (the Yellow Ranger), and Tommy (the White Ranger). If you know their characters on the show, then you'll be satisfied with them in the movie. Tommy is still the leader, Billy is still the smart one, Kimberly and Aisha represent '90s girl power, and Rocky and Adam have their own little best friendship that is evident. Not much else to it that's out of the ordinary with the show.

But there is a bunch of new stuff thrown into the mix in order to give this adventure a bit of freshness. For starters, we have a new villain Ivan Ooze, played by Paul Freeman. I really love Ivan's look, even if it is really ridiculous. He makes the most of the scenes he's in and is definitely one of the biggest challenges the Power Rangers have ever faced. The Rangers also get new powers and zords, based on the fighting style of ninjas, and I like the look of their new powers. The ninja suits are a change of pace from the traditional spandex, while still reflecting the tone and aesthetics of a traditional Power Rangers suit. The zords leave a lot to be desired though, thanks to some really horrible CGI that makes me desperately miss the guys in the rubber zord suits from the show.

Speaking of the show, the plot of this movie has no direct continuity with the show. In fact, the origin of how they got their ninja powers is completely rebooted for Season 3 (which I'll cover on my TV blog very soon). It has enough in common with the show to be a proper representation on film, while also feeling like its own entity made for the big screen. I mean, look at those armored suits, the larger budget, filming in Australia, the soundtrack full of tons of big name music acts from Red Hot Chili Peppers to Van Halen, and the fact that this is an hour longer than your average episode of Power Rangers. The major reason that I get a kick out of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie is that it's an episode of the TV show injected with steroids. The film was released at the height of the show's popularity and delivered a popcorn flick that could market the general appeal and premise of the show to people who have never seen the show before, as well as the show's biggest fans (like yours truly).


Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars

I watched this film a lot when I was younger, but I'm older and can accept that it is very heavily flawed. Still, this was a dream come true for me to see the Power Rangers on the big screen for the first time, so I can't separate my attachment to such a campy film, since the mere concept of the show is already campy enough. If you like Power Rangers, give Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie a try and I'm sure you'll find some entertainment out of it.

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers and movie images are copyrighted by 20th Century Fox